A Little Trust Goes A Long Way
by TheGoldman
Summary: Kirk makes a different call when storming the bridge. One-shot.


I don't own Star Trek. The dialogue in _**bold italics**_ is direct quotes from Star Trek Into Darkness.

-.-Transmission Begins-.-

" _ **My crew is my family, Kirk. Is there anything you would not do for your family?"**_

Khan's words echoed through Kirk's head, as he watched the superhuman take down several of Admiral Marcus' troops. He'd had a valid point earlier, and even though he knew that Spock didn't trust him, Kirk felt that if they trusted Khan here, Khan would leave. All he wanted was to take his crew, his family, and live in peace. There were plenty of uninhabited planets throughout the galaxy, and odds were that Khan wouldn't seek out other life forms.

"Scotty." He called to his technician. "When we get to the bridge, open a channel to the _Enterprise_."

"Aye, captain." Scotty hesitated, before asking. "What're we going to do about Khan?"

Kirk turned to look at Khan, watching as he leapt several feet in the air, before slamming his fists into a guard's gut, throwing him into a door and knocking him unconscious.

"We trust him." Kirk said. "For now, anyway."

-.-.-

Khan, Scotty and Kirk exchanged glances outside of the bridge. Kirk nodded, and Scotty pushed the button on the wall, opening the door. Immediately, Kirk and Khan charged onto the bridge, phasers firing on stun. Within seconds, all of Admiral Marcus' troops were downed, leaving only Scotty, Khan, Kirk, Admiral Marcus and Dr Marcus conscious on the bridge.

Khan stepped towards the Admiral, rage clear in his eyes, and Kirk placed a hand on his shoulder. The super-soldier spun, pushing Kirk's arm aside, as Kirk spoke. "Khan. I know what you're thinking, but you can't kill him. He must stand trial for his crimes." Kirk then turned to the Admiral, and spoke louder. "Alexander Marcus, I am arresting you for crimes against the Federation and the Klingon Empire."

" _ **You better stop and think about what you're doing, Kirk. You better think about what you did on Kronos. You made an incursion onto an enemy planet! You killed a Klingon patrol. Even if you got away without a trace, war is coming."**_ Admiral Marcus spat vehemently, scowling at Kirk. _ **" And who's gonna lead us?! YOU?! If I'm not in charge, our entire way of life is decimated! So, you want me off this ship, you better kill me."**_

"He wants death, Kirk." Khan said coldly. "Let me give it to him."

"No, Khan." Kirk replied, keeping his phaser aimed on the Admiral, but taking a step back so he could aim at Khan if he tried to attack Marcus. "Prove that you're better than he is."

"Better?" Marcus scoffed, leaning forward on the command chair. "The savage? I had control over you from the start."

"No." Khan replied. "You had leverage. Not control." Khan was shaking with rage, and Kirk could tell that he was on the edge of losing control and killing the Admiral.

"You wanted the work!" Marcus spat, venom in his voice. "You didn't care, as long as you were working on weapons!"

Khan clenched his fists tightly, and Kirk noticed that Khan had crushed his phaser with his super-strength. "Don't do it, Khan." Kirk warned. "He'll suffer more, when everything he's done is found out. He's goading you, trying to get you to kill him so he doesn't have to suffer for the rest of his life."

Khan let go of the phaser, and it fell to the ground, horribly misshapen. "What happens now, Kirk?"

Kirk stunned the Admiral with his phaser, confident now that Khan wasn't going to try anything. "We'll take the _Enterprise_ back to Earth, and he'll stand trial. Rest assured, he will pay for his crimes."

Khan raised an eyebrow. "And what of me? Will I too face Federation justice?"

"No." Kirk said, shaking his head. "We'll beam your crew over here, and you can take this ship and leave."

Khan looked stunned. "You would let me go, after all that I have done? I have killed many of your Starfleet's officers."

"Admiral Marcus forced you to do those things. That's what my report is saying, that he was holding your family hostage and forced your actions." Kirk replied.

Khan froze. "Why would you lie for me?"

"I don't see it as lying." Kirk said. "I see it as making sure that the right people take the blame for this. I said I was going to bring a war criminal to justice, and I will. It's just not the criminal I was expecting to bring."

"You are a better man than I expected, Captain Kirk." Khan said, bowing his head in respect.

"You got that comm line yet, Scotty?" Kirk asked impatiently.

"Sending transmission now, Captain." Scotty replied.

"Mr Spock, I need you to get all of Khan's men out from the torpedoes." Kirk said to the screen as the image of the _Enterprise's_ bridge appeared.

"Captain?" Spock asked, and he could see the mistrust in Spock's eyes.

"Spock, trust me on this. Get Khan's people out of the torpedoes, and beam the cryo-tubes over to the _Vengeance_." Kirk ordered.

"Our ship's relays are damaged, we cannot use our teleport until it is repaired." Spock replied.

"Then lower the shields, Spock."

"Captain, I do not think that is wise." Spock said. "Khan cannot be trusted."

Kirk sighed. "Lower the shields, Spock. That's an order."

"Yes, Captain." Spock said, but there was an undercurrent of disapproval in his voice as the transmission ended.

"How can I repay you for this, Captain Kirk?" Khan asked.

"If you could help us repair the _Enterprise_ , I'd consider it a fair repayment." Kirk suggested. "After that, I'd consider heading far away if I were you. I'll be writing you down as dead in my report, and this ship as destroyed, so it'd be helpful to both of us if Starfleet continued to think that."

"I understand." Khan said, nodding. "I do not intend to see you again, Captain. Thank you for your help."

-.-End Transmission-.-

AN: This is a little one-shot I wrote based off of my own wonderings. Sure, in the film, Khan does attack Kirk and then kill Admiral Marcus, but Kirk betrayed Khan first. If Khan hadn't have been betrayed, I doubt he'd have attacked. He was only interested in getting his family back in the film, and Spock (and everyone else) assumed he was interested in ruling because Old Spock told him that's what his version of Khan wanted. Old Spock's version of Khan was also Indian, proving that people are different in the different reality. Khan's actions were entirely through coercion or reactions to the situation. Attacking Starfleet was a way to draw out the missiles containing his crew so that he could rescue them. Defending himself on Kronos was, well, self-defence. And he only turned on Kirk AFTER Scotty shot him. Everything Khan did after that was because Kirk proved that humans couldn't be trusted to keep to their end of the bargain.


End file.
